How I lived After I Died
by YourFavoriteCONTRACTOR
Summary: I wanted to be an astronaut, I wanted to have a life, I was even going to ask Paulina to a school dance... PAULINA! Sure she'd probably say no... but now... I was going to even die a virgin... oh wait... I was already dead. T for mild language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

"Mom Dad?" I asked looking at the two depressed people at the table, "What's up?" I asked, mom looked run down dad wasn't even fiddling with gadgets of some sort.

"We still haven't finished the portal and it's supposed to be done by now." Mom sighed bags under her eyes. I winced at the sight.

"We should be done after school if you want to check it out Danny boy." Dad said trying to smile but obviously sad it hadn't been completed, I half wondered if that was the only thing bothering them... I debated what to say briefly.

"Uh I guess." I shrugged. I was skeptical I admit, i had been hearing about ghosts all my life with no proof they ever existed, except for what my parents tried to pass of as proof. Most of said proof consisted of some odd glowing substance and weird noises. I grabbed my bag, "I'll see you after school then." I nodded. Mom stirred her coffee.

"Have a nice day." Mom smiled weakly. I nodded, I was sure it wouldn't be, id probably be shoved into my locker and beaten by Dash leaving a nice big bruise somewhere, but I wasn't about to tell mom that, or dad either for that matter.

(line breakage.)

"Danny." I looked up to see my two best friends. I smiled even with all my and my parents weirdness they stuck with me. Sam came over obviously mad. Tucker looked scared, I rolled my eyes, Tucker had obviously done something to piss Sam off... Again.

"Ooo-k what happened?" I asked concerned i wasn't quite ready to attend my best friend's funeral. Tucker started to speak but Sam cut him off rather abruptly.

"Tucker thought it would be funny to give Mikey a love letter from me now he's following me around like a sick puppy." Sam grumbled. Tucker snickered I managed to keep a wide grin from splitting my face, I kept it down to an amused smile.

"Can you guys try not to kill each other for once?" I asked, this happened almost every day, Tucker would piss Sam off, I'd mediate the situation. They were my best friends, but let's face it, they had issues. I was half willing to bet my head to the devil that they'd fall apart without me.

"Come on Danny, it was funny." Tucker smiled. I kept it to a grin this time trying not to laugh.

"Well I guess it is pretty funny to see you being stalked by a nerd Sam." I looked at Sam she gave me a death glare. Crud, I was going to die.

"You're supposed to be on my side Danny." Sam said angrily. I rolled my eyes, thank god she was joking or I'd have an angry goth on my hands.

"Come on Sam, he'll get over it in a few days." I shrugged, Sam glared, "And if he doesn't then you can beat up Tuck." I amended.

"You're a lousy negotiator dude." Tucker complained, I shrugged, most likely Sam wouldn't beat him up... Just most.

"Take it up with my parents." I said, the first bell rang. I groaned.

"Well we should get going, Lancer is brutal man, and it's still the beginning of school." Tucker sighed. I nodded in agreement.

"I hate English." I sighed, my head couldn't quite process the words coming out of Lancer's mouth. How could one balding middle aged English major be so enthusiastic about words... Oh wait, balding, middle aged, and English major, mystery solved.

"You are at least passing." Tucker complained. I smiled sheepishly no matter what I didn't get in English Tucker didn't get more, his world was tech and computers, English did not agree with him... At all.

"That's because I have nothing better to do Tuck." I was passing because if I wasn't with my friends or sleeping I was doing homework. Life was dull, maybe someone would die to shake things up. I instantly hated myself for thinking such a thing... Still...

"If this is all life has to offer, I want out." Tucker said throwing his hands out in front of him to demonstrate the point.

"School work, homework, chores, and games not bad if you ask me." Sam folded her arms Tucker and I looked at her incredulous.

"Meaning?" we both asked. Being a teen seemed so hard.

"Meaning you just wait till you have to pay bills, that's not going to be fun." Sam said. Tuck and I exchanged a look, she did have a point.

"I guess we should take what we get while we still got it." Tucker said, I nodded.

"Agreed." I said opening the door as we reached Lancer's.

(Sorry it's kinda slow, but it has to start of a little slow.)

"So you guys want to go to the arcade and play that new rainforest demolition!" Tucker asked. Sam rolled her eyes I brightened for the briefest of moments before my face fell.

"Pass, even the virtual thing is gruesome." Sam said with a tone of disgust Tucker and I shrugged before Tucker turned to me.

"I kinda promised my parents I'd watch them and their new invention. Sorry guys." I sighed. Tucker looked at me with a seriously-dude face.

"The thing they've been working on for months downstairs?" Tuck asked thinking about it curious yet just wanting to play games, and trust me I did too.

"That's the one." I said, bored.

"Maybe we finally will get to see what it is." Sam said slightly intrigued, "So far all we know is that it's a portal, we don't even know what it looks like." Sam looked to me.

"I do, but I live there." I pointed out Sam nodded in classic 'duh' form.

"Well tell us how it goes Danny." Sam asked I nodded she smiled.

"Yeah I will." I looked over at Tucker who shrugged and held his hands up.

"Dude, I could care less. Sam's all interested in that freaky stuff not me. You are alright man, you're parents however are swimming in the crazy side of science." Tucker said. I felt bad about this, but it was true.

"Yeah, they're convinced this thing will open up into the Ghost Zone they call it." I sighed, "They are obsessed with ghosts I swear." sometimes I wondered if they cared about ghosts more than me, they had rather done experiments about ghosts than be with me or Jazz on memories occasions. Though to be fair if it was anything non ghost related they would immediately stop what they were doing.

"They still threatening to tear ghosts apart molecule by molecule?" Tucker asked amused I rolled my eyes.

"Have they stopped since you met them?" I answered with another question, an eyebrow raised.

"No." Tucker laughed I smiled then shook my head.

"I don't think they ever will." I sighed. Sam frowned I could hear the wheels turning.

"Isn't that a bit inhumane?" Sam asked, I sighed holding my hands out.

"When you think about it Sam, ghosts aren't human. Plus my parents say they have no emotions, no feelings, so they can't feel pain." I informed never having talked so much about my parents crazy habits. Sam gave me a look.

"I don't even want to know why you know that." Tucker said I rolled my eyes toward him.

"Well seeing how my dad blathers on about ghosts to anyone who will listen, I know more than one would expect." I admitted, then I looked away, more of my freakiness. Sam sighed.

"You only know it from a scientific perspective, you need to take a look at it from the occult side." Sam lectured. I was taken aback.

"And you would know this how?" I asked confused. Occult wasn't my area of expertise.

"Duh, Goth, creepy weird stuff is standard issue remember?" Sam said obviously ticked. I supposed that made sense.

"Right." I sighed, "all I know is that I've never seen a ghost and never hope to be one." I looked over at Tucker.

"Agreed dude." Tucker smiled.

"Boy's, aren't you even a little curious?" Sam asked. Actually I was, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"No."

"Not even a teensy little bit."

"No."

"Oh come on Danny."

(The irony enjoy.)

"Mom, Dad, I'm home." I said dropping my backpack in the door way too lazy to take it upstairs to my room.

"We're down stairs sweetie!" mom called I headed down to the lab bored running my fingers along the walls till I arrived at the bottom of the stairs my parents messing with stuff in the cavernous hole in our basement wall.

"Just a few minor adjustments." Mom said messing with a computer. I watched sitting on a box in the room. Dad smiled eagerly holding two ends of an electric chord as he stepped away from the portal. I sighed, how anyone could be THIS enthusiastic about ghosts I'd never know.

"Come here Danny, we want you to get a good view of it when it lights up." Mom smiled as she stepped away. I sighed getting up and walking over, standing behind them a ways as Dad took the two ends and put them together dramatically.

I waited. The portal started whirring, my eyes grew as it sparked once, twice and then died. It didn't work after all. I had to admit I was getting a little excited only to be let down.

"Awww " Dad seemed to whither a little like paper at the edge of a flame, mom even looked droopy akin to a flower that had seen many better days. I looked at the portal as my parents moved off mom grabbing her papers and going over her calculations muttering to herself as she went upstairs. I walked up to the huge thing. The metal frame and wires inside leading back a ways like I giant tunnel. I could smell a faint trace of ectoplasmic electricity, I HAD been around the stuff my entire life after all. I looked along the walls it getting dark only a few feet in and hard to see, I wasn't sure if I could even see the back clearly without actually going into it. I hesitated only a moment before I put my foot on the lip fully intending to investigate further, I heaved my body up the small step leaning in a bit before taking a step forward nearly tripping over the wires.

"Danny!" mom called, I jumped scrambling out as if I d been caught looking at porn. I paused a moment looking at the portal before I turned away from the failed invention and back up the stairs casting one final look over my shoulder. No matter what I said before I was curious, and this curiosity would be the death of me... So to speak.

(La cucaracha la cucaracha, enchilada blah blah blah, la cucaracha, la cucaracha, el burrito blah blah blah.)

"So it doesn't work?" Tucker asked as school came to a close on Friday, I nodded.

"No, mom says all her calculations are correct, but she and Dad are flying to meet a colleague of theirs to go over their data this weekend. Jazz and I are home alone." I sighed. Jazz she was so bossy, with a holier than thou attitude at times. I was planning on getting even this weekend, a slightly evil smile brushed my lips.

"Maybe we can check it out." Sam smiled. I looked at her, my plan for putting Nair in Jazz's shampoo bottle momentarily forgotten.

"Or we could play video games all weekend." Tucker smiled. I grinned, that sounded much better than checking out the ominous portal. I got a foreboding feeling from it, it wasn't right no matter how much I wanted to check it out. Besides, portals between dimensions did seem a little strange, especially when the other dimension held evil ectoplasmic manifestations of post human consciousness, my parents' words not mine.

"I like that idea." I smiled at Tucker whose smile widened in return.

"Come on Danny." Sam said, "Just one little peek?" she begged, of course Sam wanted to confront the evil spirits.

"Maybe, but my parents don't want anyone down there, stuff like brining unauthorized personnel to the lab." I evaded, Sam rolled her eyes at me.

"Well we've known you forever; I don't think they'd mind." Sam argued, "Plus it's not like we're gonna play with anything. What's the worst that could happen?" She asked reasonably.

"I don't know someone could get hit by something or electrocute themselves and die." I folded my arms stubbornly, Sam pouted, why did that always work on me? "Ok, if we do check it out, you can't touch anything." Sam smiled like it was Christmas, or Halloween in her case.

"Thank you Danny." Sam beamed acting way to happy for a goth, and quite frankly creeping me out more than the time she started laughing maniacally while trying to feed me some wheat germ garbage.

"I said if, and I said maybe." I said Sam was excited nonetheless and wasn't going to let me rain on her dreams.

"I know, but I think you're curiosity will get the better of you." Sam waved as I stopped at my house having not realized the long walk that had just taken place, my mind else where.

"I'll see you guys later." I waved going up the steps and almost running into my dad as he drug his bag down the stairs to the waiting Taxi.

"You're leaving already?" I asked adjusting my bag a little as my mom came down the steps.

"Your father gets queasy on flights, so it's best to go at night where he can sleep through it." Mom said patting Dad on the shoulder. Dad poured like a kid till mom pulled out a cookie causing him to brighten 'like a kid.'

"Oh I didn't know that." I said lamely, Mom nodded.

"Will you bring my bag out, I have to go down to the lab and get our notes." Mom smiled at me ruffling my hair, I cringed from her touch, she knew I hated when she did that.

"Ok." I said fixing my hair again. Mom smiled walking in I walked in after her grabbing her bag, which was conveniently by the door, and taking it out. As I dropped it on the curb by Dad's dad took me aside one of his massive hands clasping my shoulder.

"Now Danny, no bringing unauthorized personnel down to the lab while we're gone." Dad said his eyes narrowing as if he already expected what I was going to do. I nodded pretending I wasn't going to do just that.

"Ok." I said, "Anything else." he might as well start lecturing me now, don't eat my fudge, don't let ghosts in, don't use the emergency op center to start a radio station therefore causing the entire student body to show up at my house, the usual.

"Have a fun weekend, and call us if there are any ghosts." Dad said. I sighed nodding some what incredulous that he didn't lecture more than that, and I headed back inside. I went upstairs dropping my backpack on the ground and collapsing on my bed face up starting to search for patterns in the ceiling, I already found an astronaut, a dragon, and a panda selling pickles. A new pattern was in the corner of my room, it looked like the portal with a person inside it, there was a large blast around it. Maybe I was being overly paranoid but I was starting to think that showing Sam the portal wasn't such a great idea. I flopped over onto my bell looking down at the bluish purple bedspread that had been Jazz's previously. Maybe

(Maru kaite chickurru I suck at romijis.)

"I am so winning." Tucker gloated as I took another hit to the face.

"Dude that is so unfair." I growled punching his character back. Tucker laughed insanely, causing me to get distracted giving him a weird look and my character to take another hit.

"All's fair in love and video games." He announced. I groaned as the screen declared Tucker the winner tossing my controller aside. I pulled out five bucks and handed it over glaring.

"Cheater." I accused, Tucker shook his head vehemently.

"Cheater or not I still kicked your butt, wanna play another round?" Tuck asked eagerly, I shook my head.

"Danny?" Jazz poked her head in the room. I looked up, I still hadn't wreaked my revenge.

"What Jazz?" I asked impatiently Jazz had already tried to sit me down for five therapy sessions.

"I'm going down to the airport to pick up mom and dad." Jazz said as if talking to a child, "Don't destroy anything while I'm gone." I glared.

"Whatever, I'm not five you know." I folded my arms and stuck out my tongue. Jazz looked bored and gave me the look.

"You sure act like it." Jazz said before closing the door abruptly and leaving.

"Hey!" I said scrambling up not getting to the door in time to give her a wet willy or something equally guaranteed to gross her out.

"Well isn't this perfect timing." Sam spoke up she'd been watching us play for the last two hours and was getting bored. I looked over sensing the excitement rolling off the usually gloomy girl.

"What are you talking about?" I asked dreading the answer.

"We can sneak down to the lab right now uninterrupted while your parents and Jazz are at the airport." Sam smiled like it was the simplest thing in the world I picked up my controller and fiddled with it.

"Sam " I started about to protest.

"Unless you want to stay here and get beaten by Tucker again." Sam said with a smile. I frowned I looked over at Tucker who was currently making out with the five dollar bill. In retrospect, Sam did have a point.

"Fine lets go down stairs." I said opening the door and looking out the controller falling from my lap and startling Tucker who looked at me questionally, Sam smiled and shoved off the bed. I crept out into the hall glancing around, once I was sure it was clear I walked down the stairs, "Jazz?" I called, no answer, "Jazz are you still here?" I asked opening the door and looking out. Her car was gone the red convertible absent next to the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle, I mean the RV. I sighed in relief as I saw this, Sam poked her head out beside me a grin splitting her face.

"Sweet." Sam smiled turning on her combat booted heel and heading for the basement already. I ran to catch up Tucker caught halfway between looking from where we came to where we'd gone then reluctantly following. We arrived at the basement Sam tapping her toe, I tried the door, it was locked.

"Oh well I'll guess we'll come back later." Tucker shrugged, then a smile split his face, "Now, let me win another five dollars." Tucker gloated, I shot him a glare going to the fridge and opening it.

"Uh Danny now is not the time to be getting a snack; we need to find out how to get down there." Sam said. I uuhhh hummed her and lifted up the fudge. Yep, there it was, the small silver key glinting in the pale light from the fridge. Good old predictable Dad. I held the key up triumphantly.

"Nice, you know you're parents better than you let on." Sam smiled. I frowned, I was nothing like my parents.

"Ok do you want to go into the basement or not?" I asked annoyed, Sam nodded unsure where I was going with this, "Then I suggest not pestering they guy with the key." I stuck my tongue out walking over to the door. Tucker sighed shifting back and forth, foot to foot.

"This is a bad idea." Tucker frowned glancing around the kitchen. Sam shook her head and flashed him a smile.

"Lighten up Tuck, what's the worst than can happen?" Sam asked confidently.

"Famous last words." Tucker sighed dramatically. I rolled my eyes putting the key in the lock and opening the door switching on the lights as I went downstairs. The dark portal loomed in the wall like a mine shaft. A small shiver passed over my spine.

Tucker looked around curious about all the technology. Sam went over to the ghost portal looking inside. I just stood there awkwardly, un sure what to do. Tucker started digging in one of the closets, I was about to tell him not to touch anything when suddenly he burst out laughing and emerged holding a white and black hazmat suit with my Dad's face on the chest. The suit was mostly white with black gloves, boots and a belt. Dad's face was just under the high black collar.

"Check it out." Tucker laughed walking over to where I was awkwardly standing in front of the portal. Tucker held up the jumpsuit, "It comes in your size." I snatched the suit away from him annoyed.

"Give me that and stop causing trouble, and make sure not to touch anything."

"Whatever dude." Tucker shrugged. I handed the suit to Sam who turned it over in her hands carefully. They continued to poke around the Lab, Sam walking up to the portal and inspecting it the suit slung over her shoulder.  
>Tucker was over by my parents blue prints looking at them and muttering before moving on. I watched the two of them before joining Sam in observing the crossing of wires across the bottom of the portal.<br>There was a sudden whirring and whine as an ecto weapon charged up. I grabbed Sam and we hit the floor just as a blast shot across to the wall to the ring of where we were standing. I glared to my left.

"Didn t I say NOT to touch anything!" I growled marching over and taking the ecto gun away from Tucker.

"Dude you have great reflexes!" Tucker observed, I rolled my eyes.

"Happens when you've been dodging exploding experiments and rampant undead poultry all your life." I said putting the gun back on the table.

"Which makes me wonder how you get beat up by Dash so often." Tucker said walking over to he chemistry experiment mom had set up.

"I'd stay away from there if I were you." I warned. Of course not listening Tucker dropped a vial which proceeded to smoke. I quickly grabbed him and shoved him away from the bluish smoke as it grew. I grabbed the prototype Fenton Weasel and began sucking the stuff in. I turned it off once it was done, if it was on more than four seconds it tended to explode.

I glared over at Tucker.

"Dude you really need to start listening." I stated. Tucker smiled and shrugged. I rolled my eyes.

"What I'm a curious soul." Tucker smiled I rolled my eyes. Sam handed me back the suit I held it oddly in front of me before wondering what the heck she was doing.

"Smile!" Sam said snapping a picture. I stood there dazed by the flash before blinking.

"Ok, I showed you the portal can we get out of here now, my parents could be back here any minute." I said worried, who knew how long we'd actually been down here, time flies when you're snooping. Plus my nerves were on end and I was worried Tucker was going to kill someone. I looked back at the portal then to Sam, "Besides, they say it doesn't work anyway." I sighed having already explained this. Sam strolled up the portal and continued looking at it.

"Come on Danny, a Ghost Zone, aren't you curious, you gotta check it out." Sam smiled looking at me I walked over still holding that suit. I thought about her words, it had been nagging me, all day, all week, something was off about it but... At the same time, all the things I had heard about all my life could be proven true if it worked, maybe I could even help.

"You know what you're right." I said looking at the portal again then back to Sam, "Who knows what kind of awesome super cool things exist on the other side of that portal." I looked at the suit a minute before pulling it on. Hopefully it would keep me from any radiation still in the thing. It molded perfectly over my street clothes, my shoes too. It was skin tight but I found it didn't bulge awkwardly in anyway, and besides being a huge 'fashion don't' it wasn't that bad, roomy and easy to move in. I zipped it up and faced the portal determined. Slightly scared but determined. I half wished someone would stop me.

"Hang on " Sam said, I turned, someone was stopping me, "You can't go walking around with that on your chest." She said pulling the image of my Dad's face off and pointing to it. I guess she was right. I almost wished she had just stopped me to tell me this was a bad idea. Tucker gave me a thumbs up and didn't seem to notice the fear. Sam smiled, I couldn't very well let them down now could I? Slowly I looked back at the portal worried. Walking in thinking. Here it goes. I looked around curious all sorts of wires. Even the floor was covered in wires that looked hostile. I pressed my hand against the wall to keep my balance in case I fell already having stumbled a few times. I heard a beep beneath my hand. My eyes widened as a green glow started to fill the portal growing brighter and brighter, closer and closer. I looked at the glow coming towards me in slow motion turning to a lime green then pure white as the intensity grew. But I couldn't move I was like a deer in the head lights, my feet glued to the spot as inevitable death came for me. As I heard the electric fizz and smelled the familiar acidic smell of ectoplasm all I could think was Damn, this is gonna hurt.

My brain barely began to work and in slow mo I turned back toward Sam and Tucker reaching a hand out like it would save me, they were slowly coming to realize what happened. Slowly their mouths opened, eyes widened and they started yelling. By then I was turning around my pupils turning to pinpricks as they tried to filter out the light that flooded them.

Then the pain started an all over burning that ripped at the seams of my very existence, tearing me apart molecule by molecule, rearranging me then putting me back together, re-encoding my DNA, splicing my genes. Just about anything that seemed near impossible and entirely too painful.

For a split second I couldn't tell what happened and then I began to scream. A rigid scream forcing it's way out of my lungs then gathering speed like a freeing train, faster and faster and faster and louder and louder and louder. Everything intensified till it came to a crashing halt as my lungs scraped the side of the air for oxygen only to be met with plasma. The charge of the electrical current running through the air carried by plasma... The same plasma that now attacked my lungs prompting and even more violent reaction shaking my core suffocating me as the edges of my vision blurred and threatened to go dark.

Another breath, the fizzle of ions making my hair stand on end, the charge though my very core as my heart skipped a beat in it's erratic pounding like the feet of a thousand horses, or a horde of women in high heels... Or was that the football team. Some where in that breath was oxygen which hit my blood stream and traveled into my brain bringing sharp new clarity to the torrent ripping though the fiber of my being.

Arms splayed outward, back arching as thousands upon thousands of volts used my spine as their personal lightning rod. The color green pooling in my irises, like pouring a cup of color into clear water. Clouding and taking over, leaving no remnant of the previous.

My hair blew outward as a wave of cold submerged me, I fought for the surface as the pigment freed itself from my hair. My chest racing toward an unforeseeable finish, my mind begging for life while I was fully prepared to die.

Another breath, my back arching further as I swear I saw a ghost with white hair and green eyes staring back at me with so much pain. The scream finally freeing itself from the place it had lodged in my throat like a selfish kid on a slide. Each breath coming down till there was no choice but to release it in a furry expulsion of raw primordial pain.

A cold feeling took hold in my chest and as suddenly as it started, it stopped. My body collapsing under the torment that had taken place In the past few... What was it decades? I trembled on the ground occasionally convulsing as the glowing wires beneath me shocked my body.

I laid there for a long time it seemed, my vision blurry, the shocks the only thing keeping me awake. In the distance I could hear the roaring of a train and a faint high pitched humming, some muffled garbles, like when a child tries to talk underwater. As the garbles grew louder I began to understand more what they were saying.

"danny Danny DANNY!" they were saying. Who was Danny? I thought.

"DANNY!" the voice was filled with so much pain I had to tell them it was alright. I had to. But my body was heavy, it wouldn't respond. I tried again, giving out a half moan as I forced my limbs to respond.

"DANNY!" they called again I could see shapes moving outside a wall of green.

I groaned pushing myself up my body not yet attached to my brain as I shakily got to my knees.

"Danny! you're alive!" the voice called happily. I held my head a glimpse of a white glove.

"Danny?" the voice asked... Danny... Danny DANNY! I was Danny! I gasped backing up and hitting the wall it shocked my I stumbled forward catching a glimpse of my hands. White gloves covered them, but that's not what disturbed me, I was GLOWING. my eyes widened as I watched my hands, the flickered and suddenly I could see all my bones.

"ugnnh " was all I could say looking away from them. I stumbled to the wall of green my hand passing through it like water through a membrane. My hands came out first followed by my head. I hung it staring at the floor as I stepped the rest of the way out. I clutched to the edge of the portal as I emerged. I looked up and I saw Sam and Tucker looking at me eyes wide with horror. I took a step toward them reaching my hand out only to end up falling down, Sam and Tucker didn't even bother to check as I landed on the ground, the world going black. Yeah, I never should have gone down here I added just before all conscience thought ceased.  
> <p>


	2. Chapter 2

I opened my eyes abruptly half shocked as I sat up groaning; I hung my head in my hands bringing my knees up to my body trying to make sense of the fuzzy loud world. I felt floaty, not there, my body no more substantial than a shadow, a whisper in your ear, something once forgotten. Something was definiately up. My head hurt as another groan worked it's way up my throat this time accompanied by words.

"What happened?" I asked, startled at the sound of my own voice. It was strange, like yelling into a cave. My mind slowly tried to remember where I'd been and what I'd been doing before I ended up quite ungraciously upon the floor of my parents lab. I could smell the acidic smell of ectoplasm as it entered my nostrils, the whirling of the vents, and the softly beeping machines against the walls.

I looked up and around the large lab, Tucker and Sam were across the room. I groaned again taking in my surroundings once more and the softly glowing green light that lit up the room.

Upon looking at the now working portal then back to my best friends I noticed for the first time that they had distanced themselves from me looking at me with both curiosity and if I didn't know better... Fear. I wondered what they were scared of as I stood up abruptly, trying to go over the them. I only ended up stumbling around back into a table which bit sharply into the small of my back and sent me over into some boxes. I landed sprawled out and over the boxes my leg hanging over on my arms spears out over another small group of boxes my other leg resting under another box. Sam and Tuck looked down both worried and curious, still keeping a wary distance from me.

"Are you ok?" Sam asked carefully choosing her words as if she were talking to a stranger. I nodded trying to get out of my predicament. I flailed about for a couple seconds before looking at my two best friends who were just staring at me.

"Uh, a little help please?" I asked holding out my hand discombobulated, Sam paused then hesitantly took it tugging as I tried to vet my feet beneath me. I tripped to my feet looking down and trying to regain my balance then noticed something. My entire body was GLOWING! I froze and looked over my hands the same strange glow over them as I cast a small amount of light around me. I then glanced at Sam and Tuck who were still a ways off, even though Sam had helped me up she had gone back over there. My eyebrows furrowed as I thought about what happened, something about the portal.

The memory flooded my head and I staggered backward groaning, trying to balance myself out. Sam tried to steady me and grabbed my arms only to have her hands pass through them like smoke. I held my head I had been inside the portal... It had turned on. I remembered the pain and wondered as I stared down how I was still here and not dead. I leaned against the wall by the now working portal before sinking to the ground confused and battered, I groaned. Sam hesitantly put a hand on my shoulder eyes wide fighting back tears.

"Danny?" Sam asked as I stared down at the floor. I looked up at her, my head jerking upward suddenly, one hand on my head and over nearly half of my face. Sam flinched away but didn't remove her hand from my shoulder.

"Sam... I..." I looked around confused. Tucker grabbed Sam's hand and eased her away from me as if I was something to be feared. I stood up staggering forward holding a hand toward them for some reason. Reaching toward them like a lifeline. Tucker backed up taking Sam with him in a protective motion that confused me. I started toward them Tucker retreating faster staring at me with mistrust.  
>"Tucker?" I asked pleading with my eyes at why he was acting like this, begging for an explanation. Tucker froze looking at me indecisive, "Tucker, what's wrong?" Tucker studied me for a minute before his eyes widened as if he just then recognized me.<p>

"Danny? Dude... You need to look in a mirror." Tucker informed eyes wide. I frowned something was definitely wrong then, what through? Had I grown another head?

"Tucker?" I asked confused stepping forward he flinched but stayed fast. "What's wrong?" I asked eyebrows furrowing as I grew more worried.

"Danny, please... You really need to look in a mirror." Sam said shaking Tucker off and begging with me to do this. I nodded slowly then headed upstairs to the bathroom, it was down the hall past the stairs near the front door.

The first floor bathroom was on the other side of the wall from the stairs near down a small hall that opened up into the actual bathroom that had another door on the other side that opened into the den. The door itself was plain but at that moment it seemed like the entire universe rested inside that plain door.  
>With a deep sigh got ready to open that plain door, realizing I was still wearing that ridiculous jumpsuit. I held my breath looking back at Sam and Tucker who were trailing cautiously behind. The doorknob turned slowly under my white gloved as I slowly pushed it open, the mirror on the wall innocent looking as I slowly approached expecting anything but what I saw. I had expected to see some sort of disfigurement, a horrible burn, an extra eye, head, nose. But I looked normal... Well I still had a face, that wasn't royally screwed up in the disfigured sense. However the face in the mirror was NOT mine. As soon as I glimpsed my self I raced to the mirror sticking my hands on either side to make sure it was real, my body arching over the sink installed in front of it.<p>

That was NOT me, the reflection in the mirror was NOT mine. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible. I stared my eyes widening as I saw the boy... No not a boy... the creature in the mirror.

There was a ghost staring back at me, one of those ghosts my parents always talked about. It's eyes were a unnatural, horribly acid green, they glowed eerily and looked rather spooky. The eyes wide and frightened that stared back into my eyes, but my eyes were a rather normal cool blue.

It's hair was white, bone white, bleach, bleach, bleach white. It bellowed occasionally in an un felt breeze lifting up and around at times as if was being caught in the eddies of a current. Not my hair at all, my hair was black, not excessively but definitely black, the exact opposite of white.

The creature stared back at me, it's eyes wide in shock mouth hanging open. A bright white glow surrounded it giving it an undead feeling. I stared for a long time eyes growing wider by the minute until they felt like they would pop out. The ghost in the mirror looked sick, ready to puke.

I slowly backed up from the mirror, from the Phantom contained inside the frame. That could NOT be me. It wasn't possible... Was it? I shook my head, and the Phantom mimicked the motion.

"Danny?" Sam asked I saw she was fighting tears. Why was she crying? This was all a trick right? I couldn't be... My mind wouldn't think the word dead.

"No that can't be me, I don't look like that, I..." I glanced down for a fraction of a second and screamed at the sight I saw. Tucker and Sam backed away a step before getting over their fear and grabbing my arms pulling upward.

My lower body was slowly sinking into the ground, it was disturbing and a whole new level of freaky. I continued to sink as my friends tried pulling me up.

"Help me, help me, help me!" I said. Sam and Tucker each had one of my arms lifting me out after fighting with gravity for a few seconds. My legs were semi transparent as they hauled me out, I stared down at them like you would if you saw a two headed purple super cow eating a giant wheel of tap dancing cheese. Like the entire thing was too impossible and strange to begin to comprehend.

Then within the blink of an eye they became solid again. Sam and Tucker lowered me to the ground my feet landing with a solid tap the floor beneath them not giving away. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Its not right, it's not... It can't be right, it's a mix up a side effect, I'm not... I m not!" I shook my head ranting in denial. Abruptly Sam's arm went through mine as she tried to comfort me giving me chills as I looked down at the colorless glowing limb. I put both hands on my head gripping it tightly the slightly there one too it didn't sink through my skull thankfully or I might have run screaming from the room. This was not happening, I couldn't be a.. A... A ghost. It didn't happen, wasn't possible, ghosts weren't real... Right?

"Danny?" Sam asked carefully moving toward me. I shook my head still denying the painfully obvious truth that tap danced in front of my face screaming and yelling as it waltzed then did the limbo.

"No no no no, this can't be... I don't want to be a ghost..." the fact slapped itself into my face as I whispered these words, the next fact pushing itself to my lips, "I don't want to be dead!" I yelled I was suddenly acutely aware of the lack of heartbeat, the shadowy feeling in my body that made me feel like I wasn't real, the lack of having the actual NEED to breathe (though I did so anyway because it was somewhat assuring even though I could tell I didn't need to), and the cold pulsating core of ghost energy, that my parents had so often explained to me, which had replaced my heart. This was something I was entirely unprepared for, being a ghost. And if I was a ghost... I was dead. The cold hard fact that there was no going back, I couldn't be alive again. My life, it was over, I was suddenly very regretful of going in the portal, I wished I could take it back, I wanted to live, not be a ghost.

Tucker looked at me his expression unreadable, possibly a mixture of concern, fear, sadness, I couldn't tell. He slowly approached hovering just behind Sam both wearing concerned looks emotions flashing across their faces from there. I removed my hands from my head and tried to gather my wits as I held out my hands.

"What am I going to do?" I asked walking over to them, I would try to play this off like it was only temporary "It's my parents ambition to tear a ghost apart molecule by molecule!" I asked, my fear showing in my tone as I tired to replace it with sarcasm. Sam put her hand on my shoulder I could barely feel it, the warmth and life that radiated from her palm.

"We'll figure it out." Sam smiled I brought my hands together in fists in front of me, worriedly quivering as I thought about it. What was to happen to me now?

"Um... Danny?" Tucker said a tone of fear in his voice. I looked over at him scared as to what he would say but he pointed to my legs. I looked down and instantly wished I hadn't.

"ENEAHHHHHHHH! Where'd my legs go!" I stared wide eyed down at the flickering ghostly tail below me where my legs usually to residency. The tail slowly morphed out into solid legs after I noticed. I sighed with slight relief, then slouched, my hair was going to go white before I turned fifteen. With a half amused glance I looked back to the white haired creature in the mirror, whoops too late. Then I mentally face palmed for such a stupid pun.

I sighed hanging my head, This was going to be a long day, and it was just about six when we went down to the lab. I floated past Sam and Tucker my hands hanging limply at my sides my head hung before I floated smack into a wall my arms splaying out before I turned I fell down, Sam and Tucker looked down at me worried. Tucker cracked a small smile.

"And here I thought ghosts went through stuff... OW!" Tucker said, earning a punch in the shoulder from Sam. I sat up propped up by my elbows before I shook my head fist of all I realized I had actually been floating when I'd run into the wall. I looked up at Sam and Tucker, Tucker was rubbing his arm.

"Did I really just FLOAT into a wall?" I asked from my position on the ground. Tucker shrugged.

"Dude, apparently dying didn't make you any more graceful. OOOWWW!" Tucker had once more earned another punch from Sam. You had to give the guy props though for trying to lighten the mood.

Things couldn't get much worse though could they? I thought thinking the only way things could get worse was if a hurricane came in. However it wasn't a hurricane that came, to me, it was definitely worse.

"Danny boy! We're home!" dad boomed from the front door. I, in my newly found ghostly body jumped up hiding against the wall just out of sight from the front door. Great, I had just royally jinxed myself hadn't I? I peeked around the corner to the front door.

"Ok, on a scale of one to ten, how screwed do you think I am?" I asked Sam and Tucker glancing over at my parents. Mom dragged in a giant weapon looking thing. I paled.

"And we got this groovy new ghost shredder, isn't that great sweetie?" Mom added shouting into the house. My expression grew panicked as I shrunk back against the wall hoping they wouldn't come looking for me.

"I'd say eleven." Tucker said eyebrows raised, a whirling sound met my ears and Tucker winced, "Make that a twelve." he amended then looked over at me.

"Ok, here's what we need to do, Danny do you think you could fly us out of here?" Sam asked I looked over at her. Sam was joking... Right? Her expression said she wasn't though.

"What! Are you nuts! I just floated into a wall, and now you expect me not only to FLY but to fly you AND Tuck out of here! You severely overestimate me." I said Tucker went back to watching whatever my parents were doing with their new ghost shredder. Sam frowned at my answer.

"It's either that or find out what that thing in there will do to you." Sam said one hand on her hip the other held out toward the front door. I peeked around the corner to where mom and dad's new toy was eating up the couch very, very violently. I ducked back behind the wall again.

"Right, you win. If we make it to the back door we'll see." I looked around at them, "Don't be expecting any miracles though." I said never thinking I'd ever have to fly in my entire life... Well besides a space shuttle, but that was different.

"Great, now all we have to do is get there with out being detected." Sam said as if this would be an easy feat. Sam then grabbed both Tucker and I by the wrists dragging us through the bathroom to the den and back to the back door. Unfortunately Jazz was just outside of it, we ducked under the table that was strewn with my parents inventions and hoped she wouldn't see us.

"I know, my parents are such goons. I totally understand. Yeah, and my little brother Danny is no help at all. If anything he encourages them. Yeah but he's still my brother, no matter what." Jazz was on the phone we held our breaths as her Mary Janes passed us. I clenched my hands into fists wishing I wasn't there so Jazz wouldn't see me like this. Wishing I could just disappear blend in with the background. The Mary Janes stopped, Jazz's face appeared staring down at us.

"What are you two doing?" Jazz asked. I opened my mouth to speak, wait... Did she say you two? Just two? I looked down, my body was invisible... But I could still see it... How did that work? I wondered.

"Uh, just playing hide and go seek with Danny, though I think he's messing with us." Sam smiled politely, Tucker had his hat in his mouth and was spitting it out glancing over at me but like he was looking for something, I smiled. I WAS invisible. This definitely helped me right now... Then again if I never went into the portal I wouldn't NEED help would I?

"Whatever, Yeah I'm still here, no my brother and his little friends are playing some game." Jazz left her legs disappearing around the corner. I breathed a sigh of relief, at least I hadn't been found out... Knowing my sister she'd just think I was messing around or something.

"Danny?" Sam asked. I looked over at her and smiled.

"Yeah?" I asked, my body faded into view I grinned wider at their shocked looks. You know I might be able to get some mileage out of this ghost thing. Tucker was fixing his hat and jumped when be saw me. I snickered.

"Dude, you scared the crap out of me, don't do that." Tucker accused, I nodded but continued to snicker. We three crawled out from under the table standing up and looking at each other.

"Well that was a close one." Sam said as we lunged for the door, opening it quickly and scampering out, I nodded, "Now let's get out of here." Sam said we raced out into the backyard. Sam then turned to me. I stood there (Well actually I had started floating) and rubbed the back of my neck, unsure what to do.

"I don't know Sam... I'm still getting over the whole ghost thing." I was still seriously freaking out, but I'd managed to reign in my horror once more behind a mask of humor and sarcasm. That and some of these ghost powers were kinda cool. Sam grabbed my hands, eyes pleading.

"I know you can do this Danny!" Sam said. I hesitated looking around a bit then back at Sam. With a sigh I nodded and gripped her around the waist grabbing Tucker as well making sure I had a good grip on them. I didn't want my two best friends to fall to their deaths. I really hoped I wouldn't do that intangible thing and focused on keeping my body solid.

"Well here goes nothing." I commented I pushed off the ground hard and miraculously into the air. As we took off I felt bliss, extreme bliss, gravity had relinquished its hold on my limbs, I was FREE! I laughed and thought of how many times I'd wanted to fly, actually FLY not in a rocket or plane. But that was in a split second before I realized I had no idea how to fly, my body wobbled and flipped upside down and we all began screaming.

We went up corkscrewing around in the air away from Fenton Works as I over corrected and nearly slammed back into the op center before spiraling back up. I then began dropping in altitude nearly crashing into the roof of a random building not too far away my house, my boots grazing the top before I shot back into the air wobbling then for a time flying upside down and nearly into another building. I twisted my body away me two best friends' grips tightening around my neck.

"!" We yelled, my stomach dropping as we managed to avoid crashing into the road then zipping back into the air. We dipped back down like some sort of roller coaster on steroids and I pulled up suddenly and continued to fly across the sky zigzagging and looping erratically. I tried to regain control and we started down town as I attempted to balance my self out at one point turning upside down pausing there then speeding off legs skyward head toward the ground while I ended up getting a face full of bird. As the bird flew away from my face in a huff of indignantly I paused a building was coming toward us fast. I panicked once more.

"!" we swerved to the right going down and skimming the building and the hood of a taxi in traffic then nearly crashing through a billboard. My boot ripped a nice long gash in the side before I managed to pull away and up into the air quite a ways away from anything.

The screaming continued as we shot haphazardly through the air. My eardrums were about to burst and my throat was going dry. I could see the beach and a pier in the distance and tried redirecting my body toward it. I stopped hovering nearly twenty feet above one of the tallest skyscrapers before dropping line a stone. I caught myself my arms still wrapped around Sam and Tucker both of which had a death grip on my face and neck. I looked down noticing the tip of the scraper just inches away from impaling me. I nearly fainted then and there but managed to twist back around into an upward position.

I flopped forward balancing and getting a feel for the air before heading toward the old abandoned pier at the edge of the lake. I did a couple somersaults and one back flip before I zoomed toward the pier. Still screaming I noticed I was going too fast and heading too close to the edge. It was entirely possible we'd be thrown into the cold water at the rate we'd had been going. I tried to slow down pulling to near stop before ungraciously tumbling to a rough landing a couple feet from the drop off then rolling almost all the way to the end. Tucker began kissing the planks as we disentangled ourselves from each other.

"IM ALIVE!" Tucker exclaimed laying on the ground hugging the floor. I stared up at the sky and blinked not sure what to make of the whole experience.

"Well that could have gone better." I commented sarcastically before abruptly sitting up and looking around. Sam and Tucker were within a few feet the very edge of the pier just a few meters away.

"Well at least we got out here." Sam said standing up and looking around dusting off her skirt. I joined her standing, Tucker still was hugging the ground grateful to be alive. The sun was headed down in the distance, I sighed. It must be sometime around seven if my parents... Oh god.

"My parents are going to kill me!" I exclaimed gripping my head. For a minute forgetting I already was dead. Tucker joined us, having finished making out with the planks, he gave me a wry grin.

"I think you have that covered dude. Ow! Would you stop doing that!" Tucker glared at Sam who had just smacked up side the head. I let a small smile grace my lips. Even after everything that happened they were still up to their usual antics.

"You could be a little more considerate Tucker." Sam folded her arms glaring at him. Tucker held his hands out in a defensive gesture.

"I'm trying to relieve the tension through humor, what are you doing Sam, besides hitting me!" Tucker asked. In truth I was grateful for his humor, even if it was a little dark. Sam opened her mouth to respond, I sighed walking to the end of the pier and sitting down my legs dangling off as I stared down at my reflection. The somewhat warped image in the water below me. It still unnerved me that ghost in the water, the face that was now mine. Sam and Tucker started arguing more heatedly. I slumped putting my hands on the edge of the planks to steady myself as I stared further down into the water, but not too far, just enough for me to see the ghost staring back at me. It's glowing green eyes boring into the eyes I knew to be blue.

"WELL AT LEAST IM NOT MAKING THIS INTO A BIG JOKE! Back me up here Danny!" Sam stopped yelling presumably looking over at me. I stared down at my now glowing hands I wasn't sure what to say. "Danny?" Sam asked. I could hear the boards creaking as the two of the came over to me. The shift of weight on the old boards. Another set of legs appeared next to me, black combat boots next to my glowing white ones... Glowing... I sighed, I freaking GLOWED. I felt Sam's hand on my shoulder and Tucker's brown boots joined the pairs of shoes over the edge of the pier. We sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Danny, it's ok, we'll figure this out." Sam assured. I stared down at the glowing boots that dipped down and kissed the water distorting the image of the ghost that stared back at me. My mind began to think about this again, the fact I was dead. It was strange, there was nothing to joke about at the moment, no way to lessen the ache I felt the want to be a living person again. I stared at my gloved hands thinking about all this.

"Sam..." my voice sounded weird, echoey and unreal, I wasn't sure what to say to her so I looked over at Sam to find tear streaks running down her face. Tucker as he looked out over the lake had tears too though he acted like they weren't there. I knew my face would to if I felt it, I too acted like I wasn't crying like I was three years old. I had to be strong, at least for their sakes. I had to at least let them know I was ok, even if I wasn't in the least. As long as they believed that it would be true.

I looked back out over the still water. Not able to finish my thoughts, unable to say anything. I blinked rapidly as my vision continued to blur, tears welling up before dropping down my cheeks leaving salty trails. We sat in silence, our breaths the only noise besides the two heartbeats beside me. I massaged my hands slowly my shadowy body not quite solid but still there. Sam's hand had slipped down and came to rest on my forearm. There was nothing to say, no way to respond, no correct way to react to such a situation. I glanced down once more at the reflection in the water, my glowing form next to my two best friends. Why? Why did everything have to be so screwed up?

I thought about the future is never have now, the birthdays I'd never attend, the people I'd never meet. There never would be a Mrs. Paulina Fenton, or even a Mrs. Fenton. I wouldn't go to my first prom, nor the dance that was coming up in a little over a month not that they mattered much, bur I had been planning on asking Paulina. Though I highly doubted she'd go with me, still it was a grand dream. I wouldn't graduate or go to college. I would never know if I'd get piss faced drunk because I'd never get drunk because... I was dead. I'd never go to the space convention I was planning on this summer, I'd never get to have sex let alone KISS a girl. I wouldn't fly a space shuttle I wouldn't become an astronaut. I sighed, being dead was just getting more and more depressing... Seriously I'd never have sex, I was going to die a virgin... I HAD died a virgin, what's up with that? Well that didn't seem to bad when put up against all the other things... But... There was something worse. Something I'd probably have to do eventually.

"I think... I should tell my parents." I said after a long while, minutes, hours, days. I didn't know how or when or... I sighed. I looked at the glowing eyes and snow white hair. How the hell did you explain that? I inwardly groaned.

"Dude... You can try." Tucker said. I nodded, trying meant I could try and get them to even listen to me without attacking me and ripping me apart, and I quote "molecule by molecule." The sun was still slowly sinking in the sky. I stared out across the water and away from my reflection.

"They're your parents Danny, they should love you no matter what right?" Sam added. Sure, normal parents would right? But mine were obsessed... I sighed and went back to staring at the boy in the lake, it was hard to see him as me. He... It... He was a ghost. Not me... I wasn't a ghost... At least I hadn't been up till then.

"I don't know... How do I explain... This?" I asked gesturing to my entire being. It wasn't easy to explain at all... In fact It was a very hard thing to grasp myself. So we have me turning into a ghost, not looking like me and then we add my trigger happy father into the mix...

"Maybe they'll find out on their own?" Tucker said glancing over at me cleaning his glasses. I sighed, not quite sure how to respond. I didn't want to seem too negative.

"I don't know... Maybe." I said eventually, I stared out at the water, my eyes growing heavy. I laid down and began looking up at the darkening sky and glowing clouds picking up the last rays of light. I closed my eyes in defeat, too tired and emotional frayed to worry about much else. I felt at peace right then ... The things left to do loomed in the back of my mind, but right then, in that moment everything was ok.

I took a deep breath. My eyes relaxed beneath thief lids, and I let myself float away, I settled into a small warmth in my chest that had made it's soft comforting pressure known. The warm feeling growing till it passed over my entire body. I heard gasps from my friends and wondered if I had truly died this time, just floated away no longer a ghost. My body curled into itself as I fell asleep not having the energy to continue staying away or worrying any longer. My heartbeat steadily rocking me info the deep slumber like a drum.

My mind drifted on a cloud everything fuzzy and numbed, the pulse of blood through my veins loud in my ears as I breathed easily my muscles slowly relaxing. If I was dead... Well it wasn't so bad, it was just like falling asleep. I thought I briefly heard my name before I sunk into a comfortable deep blackness. After which I knew no more.

**Hey, all my lady freinds. ;)**

**And dudes who know this is the place to pick up the girls.**

**Guess who's back, thats right, i am!**

**So... How you like it?**

**DaiCha: It'll keep going thats for sure. :)**

**VampireFrootloopsRule: uh... yeah, the portal part is from Memory Blank. Its the exact dialouge from the show when he first goes into the portal after that it cuts off. From "smile" to the button part is the episode thing.**

**jordylilly777: Wow, i'm really honored. I wish i had more reveiws but what the heck. Perfect? Very honored.**


	3. Chapter 3

I had to fix this because I nearly forgot it and how could i do such a horrible thing but...

This chapter is dedicated to anonymous reviewer FINISHYOURFIC for being the 8th reviewer.

so there.

now i post this again.

8!

The most annoying thing about being woken up is knowing that you could have slept more. It's not like when you wake up and can't get back to sleep even if it's five in the morning, you know you can sleep more and some person is waking you up. Some person is yelling your name even as you cover your ears to ignore them and rolling away from them and off the pier (that you managed to fall asleep on) and straight into the freezing water below you. And even as you sputter for air clawing your way to the surface you know if that person hadn't tried to wake you up you'd still be asleep right then.

"Danny!" I looked up coughing.

"What the heck... Where am I?" I asked treading water and looking around. I had two phone lights shining in my face. The lights reflecting off the ripples of water around me. I coughed again. One of the lights turned off and a hand was held out to me. I grabbed it and the side of the pier. The hand grabbing my forearm my hand grabbing theirs.

"On three." Sam said, "One... two... three." My arm was pulled I pulled on the side of the pier and scrambled up the side getting my waist up onto the edge before pulling myself the rest of the way up. I blinked at the dark sky spots in my vision from the cell phone lights. I looked down at my sopping T-Shirt and jeans. My sneakers were kicked off where I had been sleeping on sock hung off my foot awkwardly. I blinked then tried to pull it up, the wet article clinging to my foot and resisting my attempts at pulling it. I stood shakily.

"Danny!" Sam hugged me, "You're back to normal!" she smiled. I gave her an awkward hug back.

"Sam I'm all wet!" I said.

"Dude you gave us a bit of a scare there, you wouldn't wake up for a while after you changed back so..." Tucker rubbed his neck. Sam let go of me.

"Well we thought something had happened. But I guess you were just really tired after flying us all the way out here." Sam said. I froze.

"Flying... So it wasn't just a dream?" I asked. I had been honestly hoping ever since I realized where we were. Sam and Tucker exchanged a look.

"You ok man?" Tuck asked.

"Yeah... At least I think so... Aside from being wet and cold that is." I said attempting to wring out my shirt.

"Well that's good... Maybe it wore off or something." Tucker hypothesized. Sam frowned.

"I don't know about that... It doesn't seem like something that would just go away like that." Sam put a finger to her lips.

"Well you're the expert Danny, you tell us." Tucker said.

"What me? Are you serious!" I asked confused, "My parents are ghost hunters not me! I barely know anything." I said.

"Well the main thing is you're back to normal, that means you can at least go home tonight." Sam said. I tried to wring out my shirt.

"I wasn't worried." I protested. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Sure you weren't." Sam said, "Come on, let's get you dried off."

(Ectogun... Now just don't autocorrect that)

I stared up at my ceiling a dim glow from my alarm clock lighting up a faint patch of the bumpy surface. It looked like a scary face, taunting me as I tossed and turned.

Everything was back to normal right? I shifted staring at my clock the glowing numbers swimming before my eyes. I was normal... Right? I sat up gazing around my room the numbers 3:08 burned into my retinas. I glanced at the closed door... My family was just on the other side of that door... My mom, dad, and even my sister Jazz. I flopped back down onto the bed. They all had no idea what happened to me, what I'd become if even for the short amount of time it was. Though it had seemed like an eternity.

I forced myself to close my eyes and tried to sink into a deep sleep. Sleep however, evaded me, I was wide awake. I sat up again swinging my legs off the edge of the bed my feet solidly on the ground. I pushed off my bed creeping to the door pushing it open slowly and looking out into the hall.

I spunk out into the house drifting aimlessly down the stairs. I wandered into the kitchen and as if pulled by a string down to the basement, to the portal.

I stood on the steps for a while observing the glow that lit up the room. A shiver traveled down my spine and I breathed out a cloud of condensed air.

My bare feet hesitantly touched the floor my mind going back to earlier today. The creature in the mirror. I shivered again as I took in the eerily lit room.

It was the same room is grown up in the whole of my life. The same room that Jazz avoided like the plague. But it was cast in a new light, not just the light from the portal. I took in the same old beakers, the same old pipes, Bunsen burners, the scorch marks on the wall from where Dad exploded a wheel of cheese... Then finally the portal.

The cold metal stared at me as the swirling mass inside the portal taunted me. The swirling mass that was the same green as that Phantom's eyes. I would not accept it as me, he was a Phantom... Maybe just Phantom. I closed my eyes... Why did I come down here? I glanced down at my hands holding them in front of me, they flickered in the unnatural light. I looked back up at the portal.

"What did you do to me?" I asked it. A single moment and I can't get over it. This could ruin my entire life... Maybe I would need therapy. The thought I was even considering therapy just proved how much I was messed up by this.

Had I really been a ghost? Was it some elaborate illusion? Or should I even... I shook my head at the thought. No... I wouldn't pursue this any further. I would forget about it pretend it never happened. I turned around deciding to ignore the portal behind me and the sinking feeling in my gut. I chose instead to walk upstairs.

There was a soft glow from the kitchen. I walked in to see dad pulling some ice cream out of the fridge.

"Dad?" I asked. Dad looked up suddenly.

"Can't sleep Danny boy?" Dad asked. I nodded.

"No, I was just checking out the ghost portal. It's great you and mom got it working." I smiled. Dad broke out into a wide grin, he couldn't tell my smile was fake.

"Yup, maybe it just needed to time to warm up before it started." Dad said pulling two bowls down.

"Yup, I'm sure it's something like that," I shrugged, "Something completely and totally unrelated to me." I said with a smile. Dad nodded.

"Sure thing son... You want one or two scoops?" Dad asked.

"Two." I answered. Dad scooped two spoonfuls of ice-cream into a bowl and stuck a spoon into it before handing it off to me. He then dug out five scoops of ice cream four his own bowl.

I sat at the table with dad. He dug into his ice cream. I picked up a spoon and extracted a lump of the sticky sweet frozen substance.

"So dad... I was wondering... With you being a ghost hunter, why would you make a portal into the dimension where the things you hunt live?" I asked. Dad looked at me seriously.

"Well so we can get ghosts to dissect and tear apart molecule by molecule." Dad said like it was obvious, "Why just hunt ghosts when you can bring them in for a quick and easy dissection." Dad said bringing his spoon up and pointing to me. I ate my melting spoonful of ice cream.

"Dad... Are all ghosts necessarily evil?" I asked taking another spoonful of ice-cream and enjoying it.

"Of course they are Danny boy, it's written deep sighing their ectoplasmic signature. No way there is a good ghost. Not possible." Dad said. I sagged. I didn't feel like ice cream all of a sudden.

"You don't have to worry about that Danny boy! We're building doors for the Fenton Portal next so we don't have any unexpected visitors during the night." Dad assured. I stared into my ice cream. I froze I hadn't even thought about that. All the ghosts that could come out of that portal. Dad gave me an encouraging smile/

"Well thanks, I feel a lot better." I said. Dad patted me on the back missing my sarcasm.

"Sure thing Danny boy, eat up." Dad said. I nodded, Dad finished his ice cream and put the bowl in the sink rinsing it out with a little water I however was used to half the turkey being gone in a minute so this didn't raise a blip on the weirdness scale. However if the turkey was alive you might get me to pay attention but only because I was trying to avoid becoming Thanksgiving diner's diner. Dad yawned and glanced over at me.

"You should probably get to bed here soon. Night Danny boy." Dad clapped me on the back making me nearly fall face first into my ice cream. I went back to eating my ice cream.

All I could hear was the tick of the clock and the scrape of the spoon against the bowl. I stared off into space eating my ice cream. The same rhythm mouth bowl lid mouth bowl lift mouth. I lifted the spoon to my mouth but only heard a clatter as the spoon dropped into the bowl. I looked down wondering how it got there before picking it up and continuing to eat. I hated this, not being able to sleep, being weirded out, worried, and, though I hated to admit it, scared.

The spoon fell from my grasp again, I sighed picking it up and eating another spoonful of ice cream, only this time I couldn't touch it, my hand passed through the small metal utensil. I choked back a scream as I stared down at it. It was opaque and not my arm... Not my arm.

"Danny?" Crap it was Jazz. I tried to hid my arm.

"You've been acting weird since we got home." Jazz said, "You ok?" I forced a smile.

"I'm totally fine, it's not like the world is going to end just because I'm preoccupied." I said with a shrug, I then frowned and hid my arm again.

"Danny... Is something wrong with your arm?" Jazz asked.

"No! I mean... It's nothing, go... Ah..." Jazz reached for my arm, I gritted my teeth waiting for the inevitable.

"Gosh Danny, you're cold. Is the heat turned up in your room?" Jazz asked. I creaked an eye open, Jazz's warm hand was on my wrist. She took my hand between hers.

"Uh... I think so." I said unsure.

"Jeez and you're eating ice cream when you have an arm ache like this." Jazz shook her head, "I can't believe I worry about you." Jazz pulled down two coffee mugs and set them on the counter before grabbing two tea bags and pulling out the teapot. Jazz filled the teapot with water glancing over at me every now and then and shaking her head. Jazz then placed the teapot on the stove turning on the burner before leaving.

As she left I looked back at my arm. It was normal solid and altogether unordinary. I wiggled my fingers. Then I hesitantly picked up my spoon and began eating again. I finished the rest of the ice cream quickly putting the bowl in the sink and rinsing it out as dad had done before me.

"Tell me you didn't finish that ice cream." Jazz said as I shut the water off.

"What did you want me to do?" I asked.

"You idiot I want you to sleep, how are you supposed to do that with all that sugar. Besides eating sweets before bed will give you cavities." Jazz scolded. "Here." she thrust a small white pill into my hand. I stared at it.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Melatonin, it'll help you sleep." Jazz said. The tea pot started whistling. Jazz poured the hot water into the two cups with the tea bags.

"Here, chamomile." Jazz smiled sitting down, "Now, let's talk." She said. I took the cup from her and swallowed the little pill.

"Jazz, I know you think that growing up raised by parents that hunt ghosts would have an effect on me but... Really I'm pretty normal." I said.

"Danny, you're a social recluse, you have no friends, except Sam and Tucker, you have no social standing whatsoever. You're going to my school now. And your mediocre grades make me look bad." Jazz said huffily. For some reason this got on my nerve. I mean she was worried about me making her look bad?

"Yes Jazz because it's all about you. It's not like I just almost died today. Nope as long as you look good. Honestly Jazz I don't think colleges are going to check your brother's school records to get a read on you." I said, "Be surprised I manage at all. You're the wonder child of the family." ok that might have been a little harsh. Jazz looked into her tea. I drank mine so I wouldn't say anything else.

"Look, Danny, I may hide it but I care about you, I know I can be preoccupied with college and school, bit you're still my little brother." Jazz said. "And I love you."

"Great I feel so much better now." I put the cup down, "Can we get this hug fest over now." I said. Jazz sighed.

"Hide all you want behind that mask of sarcasm Danny. But consider this, is that the real you?" Jazz asked. I gulped at my tea. I hated it when she said things like that.

"Jazz... If something really, really, REALLY bad happened to me... Could... Would you... Jazz would you tell mom and dad if you knew?" I asked setting my tea down. Jazz slowly lowered her cup.

"Danny... Are you in danger? Is someone after you?" Jazz asked. I shook my head.

"You know if... There was a freak accident and... I died Jazz." I asked. Jazz stared at me.

"If I knew about it, probably. Danny Wha-" Jazz wondered, but I broke in with a nervous laugh.

"Nothing, nothing, ha ha ha! Watching scary movies getting to me again. Night Jazz." I smiled picking up my cup and putting it in the sink.

"Danny." Jazz put her hand on my arm as I walked by, "You know you can talk to me about anything right?" Jazz asked. I stared at the ground.

"Um... I... There's nothing to talk about." I said. I turned and went into the living room climbing up the stairs and pausing outside the door of my room. A shiver traveled up my spine and my breath fogged. Maybe I did need to turn up the heat a little. I shivered rubbing my arms I turned the door knob and climbed into bed. I let my mind drift off as the Melawhatsit took effect.

I was standing in a dark room, no lights no sounds. Just silence. Silence like the kind you found in Lancer's classroom. I could hear soft sounds in the background, then I saw a flash of brilliant green light. I screamed in pain fighting away the offending glow.

I was staring in a mirror, i saw my face, but scared warped. The me in the mirror looked down a silent scream on my lips. I looked down too. My body was changing starting at my feet. The shoes wavering and turning into white boots, HAZMAT replacing jeans and my white familiar T-shirt. A cold glow following up as my body became alien. I glanced back at the mirror pleading for it to stop as the transformation took place. My hair going white my face pale in the ghostly glow. I blinked and my eyes went green. But not just green a glowing electric green.

I shoved away from the image running down the hall, my parents chased after me guns blazing. And suddenly I was on a dissection table my parents digging into me and I cried for a way out. Just to go away disappear sink through everything and vanish. I saw Sam above me I was in a casket. She was crying. I reached out for her but I was falling, down, down, down, down, down...

I opened my eyes the ceiling growing further away, my arm stretched out toward it. I wondered what it meant that the ceiling was retreating before I crashed rather painfully on the floor the wind knocked out of me. My head was throbbing as it bounced off the floor. I gasped for air, my lungs burning as I gripped my sides. I floundered about not quite catching full breaths just shallow wispy wannabe breaths. I coughed and choked and clawed for air.

"Danny!" Mom rushed down the stairs. Tears were in my eyes as I choked over the oxygen. Mom rushed over to me, concerned, eyes wide with fear.

"Danny, Danny, what happened what's wrong?" Mom asked. I coughed again trying to force oxygen to my brain so I could speak.

"I... I fell, I fell." I took in some more breaths trying to stop my lungs from hurting. "I fell." I said again. Through the floor... I fell through the floor. I couldn't bring myself to finish. I coughed and I gasped my lungs still in pain and my mind boggled. Mom put her arms around me. I fell through the floor. I shuddered a cold breath of air condensing in front of my face. Mom pulled me to my feet

"You were just sleep walking Danny, we're going to have to watch you if you keep this up." Mom said. I shivered staring at my hands.

"Danny?" mom asked. I clenched my fists still shivering.

"I... I just got the wind knocked out of me... That's all." I said shivering and standing up. Mom helped me steadying me as I shivered.

"You're cold as death." Mom said. I shivered again and mom rubbed my arms. I shook her off.

"I'm ok mom." was I? "Just got the wind knocked out of me that's all." I smiled trying to seem convincing; I think I just grimaced though.

"Ok, if you need anything though I'm just down the hall." mom said directing me up the stairs we walked in silenced then I arrived at my door, mom stopped me.

"Danny, if you don't feel well in the morning you can stay home, but try and sleep for the next hour or so at least. Ok?" Mom said worried. I shivered.

"Ok mom." I smiled.

"I love you sweetie." Mom kissed my cheek.

"Yeah, yeah..." I paused then sighed, "I love you too mom." I landed in my bed and eventually sunk into a dreamless sleep.

(looking at my own reflection when sudden it changes violently it changes)

I drug myself out of bed pulling my clothes on and getting dressed as if on autopilot. Mom offered a billion times for me to stay home and I almost took her up on that offer except I needed to talk to Sam and Tucker. I needed to. I got on the overly crowded bus getting off a block from Tucker's and walking the rest of the way to school with Sam and him. It would be the perfect chance to have a private conversation with then.

"Dude you look like crap." Tucker commented. I nodded.

"Yeah, I do own a mirror." I shivered and exhaled a cloud of air. Then turned to them.

"Guys I fell through my floor last night." I said. Sam and Tucker stopped. I paused. They looked at each other.

"Side effect from the ghost energy?" Tucker said.

"I don't think so." Sam said.

"I hope it wears off if it is." I said and we continued walking. Sam tapped her finger to her lips.

"Well if we think about this scientifically it's possible some of your cells might have absorbed the energy from the portal making you into a ghost before it wore off." Sam thought, "Maybe the energy was just used all up and just little flashes of that ghost energy keep sparking up." Sam smiled, "If that's true you just have to use up whatever energy your cells absorbed from the blast."

"So after that I should go back to being normal?" I asked curious.

"Well it's just a hypothesis, but if I'm right then yeah. If I'm not... Well I don't know. We'll have to figure it out later I guess." Sam shrugged. I thought about this, it seemed probable. I rubbed my head nervously.

"So… what does that mean for me in the mean time?" I wondered. Sam shrugged.

"I don't know." Sam answered Tucker frowned.

"Dude, you should go walk into the girls locker room… NO DUDE! You should take me in there and we can be all invisible and stuff!" Tucker smiled.

"Be serious." Sam said hitting Tucker upside the head. I laughed then looked around.

"Thanks guys." I smiled.

"We're your friends Danny, we aren't going to abandon you the second things just get a little weird, you know. Heck, I wouldn't care if things got a lot weird." Sam smiled. Tucker nodded in agreement. I sighed in relief, for some reason I thought they'd run from me.

"Well… at least I can count on you guys." I smiled, "I was really worried… i…" I shook my head. Sam put a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on Danny, give us a little more credit than that." Sam said.

"Yeah dude, don't short change us so… I'm broke enough as it is." Tucker joked I laughed.

"Well, let's get to class, so Tucker can loiter outside the girls locker room again." I smiled. Sam rolled her eyes and Tucker gave me a wide grin.

"You know it man."

Tada!

New chappie!

This one has been in my phone forever so its good to get it out finally and send it off to go be its own chapter… they grow up so fast.

Lol. Sorry a bit tired, I just took a melawhatsit…

Anyway. That's all for now folks.

Please review to show your support.

Thanks!

Con-San signing off.


	4. Chapter 4

I laughed with Sam and Tucker, the ghost things still looming in the back of my mind but with summer it being warm outside and Tucker telling a story about the time his father got stuck in a revolving door it was enough to make me feel normal. Most everyone was on the other side of the lawn, we were sitting at a table around the corner of the school, and it was kind of tucked away and secluded. Sam had chosen it to keep me safe from Dash and she tended to hit anyone who came close so there wasn't that much of a problem with people coming around. Just as Tucker got to the part about the fire department being called I grabbed a spoonful of mandarin oranges but got to watch as the spoon passed through my hand and that strange opaque color traveled up my arm and over my body. I blinked staring down at my body Sam and Tucker looking at me mouths open before I suddenly dropped to the ground becoming abruptly tangible as I hit the ground the wind knocked out of me.

"Danny?" Sam and Tucker peered over the edge of the table looking at me; I shoved myself up onto my elbows only to find my foot stuck in the bench.

"AAAAAHH!" I screamed tugging at it futile. My heart started to quicken in pace as I pulled at the limb stuck in the wood.

"Danny calm down someone is going to see." Sam said warningly. I stopped then breathing heavily stared at my foot peeking up through the wood my pant leg sticking awkwardly through the bench as well. I then looked over at Sam.

"Then what do you suggest I do?" I asked. But my concern was unneeded as at that moment my foot and leg fell through the wood bench and landed with a thud underneath it along with my other leg. I gave a sigh of relief.

"You know, just maybe we should ask your parents about this." Tucker said.

"No way." I said wiggling out from under the bench and clamoring back up to the table. Tucker looked to Sam who shook her head.

"As much as I'd like to agree for Danny's sake, I'm also not so sure about it. Parents don't understand." Sam said angrily, I couldn't help but to think she was talking about her parents rather than mine. I sighed and continued eating my oranges. Sam went back to her tofu soy melt and Tucker to his double bacon cheeseburger; we had begged Jazz until she got us food off campus for lunch. I continued eating my fruit cup before draining the juice and staring at my empty plate well wrappers.

We sat awkwardly at the table for a while none of us daring to speak about what just happened.

"Well… maybe it's that much more energy you've expelled." Sam finally stated, "You're that much closer to being normal." Sam said. I looked down at my hands.

"Well I guess that is good news." I sighed then burped a bit Tucker smiling.

"Nice one." Tucker said taking a sip out of his soda. I shrugged then swirled what was left of the root beer in my soda before taking a sip.

"We have study hall to day with Mr. Pearson; maybe we can go to the library and look up ghosts." Sam suggested. Tucker and I looked at each other.

"Pass." We both said.

"No offense Sam but old legends aren't going to help very much." Tucker said.

"Besides I don't think these are the kind of ghosts that just moan and move stuff." I added. Sam glared at me. I put my hands up, "I guess we can check it out." I relented, "But count me out I am _not_ sitting in a library reading for who knows how long. I do that enough in English." I said. Sam glared at me one last time but that was one condition I was not compromising on.

The bell rang at that moment and I grabbed what was left of my soda and sucked it down Tucker and me standing at the trashcans till the last possible moment finishing our food… well Tucker food my soda. Sam rolled her eyes yet waited nonetheless till we threw the empty cups and wrappers away and headed inside.

**(I love this show… :D)**

I yawned walking out of the school, I had fallen asleep during study hall and now was being punished by Sam and being made to carry half of the books she'd gotten, and trust me she'd gotten a lot of books. I had actually had a pretty good day despite the whole ghost thing. Well until that moment.

"Hey Fentoad!" I heard a second before the football hit me in the back of the head sending me and Sam's book sprawling to the ground.

"You missed your daily beating." Dash said pounding his fist into his hand.

"Somehow I doubt he'd want to be present for that." Sam said sarcastically behind her mountain of books, Dash just glared over at her before grabbing the front of my shirt.

"Eep!" I squeaked as he brought me close to his face his breath smelling of school lunch. And school lunch doesn't smell good to begin with.

"So you get to pay for it double now." Dash said fist raised. One thing I will confide is that when the punches stopped at the kicking started, I was ready to call it quits. It wasn't a long beating, but for me, it took hours. And as Dash promised I did pay for it double. I held my ribs as I crawled to the table, before I made it thought Sam and Tucker helped me up, the books I was carrying were still on the ground I gasped for air trying to catch my breath.

"I hate him." I said glaring at the retreating back of the star quarterback. My hands in tight fists as I stood, my knee buckled and nearly sent me to the ground.

"You should tell someone Danny." Sam said, and not for the first time. I just glared harder at the back of that jock.

"No way, I won't give him the satisfaction." I growled before standing up. Sam was picking up books. Tucker was looking at me mouth open. I stopped glaring at Dash and looked over at Tucker blinking.

"What?" I asked. Tucker stared at me then shook his head.

"I just thought… it looked like your eyes were glowing dude." Tucker said before turning back to his PDA.

"Glowing?" I wondered confused. Tucker fiddled with his PDA nervously.

"Yeah… green. You know like when you were a ghost." Tucker said. Sam shoved a book into his chest.

"Shut it!" She hissed, "We don't need the entire school knowing." Sam glared. Tucker nodded, I held my bruised ribs and wiped the dirt of my face before dust myself off along with the shoe prints on my shirt. Usually the beatings weren't that bad, a couple bruised arms, or a head full of toilet water, sometimes a class period or two stuck in my locker. I coughed a little almost expecting blood, but there was none. Dash must have had a bad day, Mikey stopped noticing my bruised state.

"He got yelled at by the coach and failed two tests then got caught with Paulina in the broom closet and nearly got detention." Mikey said. I nodded.

"Why is it when he has a bad day he always takes it out on me?" I asked. More rhetorically than anything else.

"He has nothing better to do I guess." Mike shrugged, "see you later Danny." He waved. Tucker put his hand on my shoulder.

"Oh well, nothing we can do really. Except maybe tell someone, but you know how that goes." Tucker shrugged. I nodded as we started walking I took some books from Sam.

"Or rather how it doesn't." I yawned again grimacing as a nice forming bruise on my cheek pulled with the motion of my mouth.

"I just hate that nobody does anything. Teachers piss me off in that way." Sam growled angrier than I was about it.

"Well they say if they don't see it they can't do anything and nobody else is about to go against Dash to testify what they saw." Tucker said.

"I just wish I could get him back." I frowned as we walked down the street. I let my head rest on the stack of books my arms getting tired as it was already. I nearly closed my eyes and almost walked into a pole, but instead of meeting painfully with the pole and falling back onto the ground with a pile of books on top of me I just passed through, unfortunately that meant that while I made it through the pole, the books however did not. It was a strange feeling. The book passing through my body as I walked forward, the spines of the books at first giving a small shove into my chest before they passed easily through then fell as I walked through the pole. I froze hearing the books fall then made a move to pick them up my hands passing through the leather bound volumes as I grasped for them.

"Danny." Sam said putting her hand on my, or rather where mine was. She gave me a look of sympathy then picked up the books handing them to Tucker and adding a few to her load.

"No I can carry them." I insisted holding out my arms. That weird opaque color dominated my form though and I couldn't touch them nor could they touch me. Sam shook her head.

"Just forget it." She said walking onward. I hung my head and walked beside trying to get my body to go back to normal.

"It's no use I'm stuck." I said after a while angrily staring at my hands. Tucker shrugged.

"Well hopefully it will wear off soon." He said. I glared at him.

"Wear off? What if it doesn't? What then?" I growled angrily, "If I'm like this for the rest of my life then what?" I asked pissed.

"Well it is your fault." Sam said. I blinked and looked over at her.

"My fault?" I asked angrily. Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean you are the one who went into the portal in the first place don't take it out on Tucker." Sam said. I blinked.

"Why would you say that?" I asked confused, "you make it sound like I wanted to go in." I said, "You're the one who convinced me to go."

"Look we're just trying to help, don't get mad at us." Sam said.

"I'll be mad if I want to be mad!" I yelled, "It's not all my fault! You're the one who convinced me to go in after all!" I yelled angrily, "Don't be pointing fingers when you're just as much to blame."

"Danny…" Sam started. I shook my head.

"Forget it." I said turning on my heel and running the opposite direction. I suddenly very much wanted to be a ghost, at least that way I could fly away from this place. I felt the cold I had felt before and grasped at it. I flinched as it started spreading two white glowing rings formed at my waist and started to move.

"Nnnuuggh!" I put my hands in front of me to protect myself as a wave of cold broke over me. Other than that everything was normal… until I felt my body, that same shadowing feeling and the light floating sensation. I opened my eyes and put my hands down. White gloves, I grabbed my hair, white hair, I stared at my chest, black and white jumpsuit and I was glowing. I looked back at Sam and Tucker who were staring at me mouths wide open. One look at Sam and I forgot my fear. Did she think I wanted to be like this, wanted to be this ghost. My eyes narrowed and I started running down the once more before jumping into the air unstably and speeding haphazardly away from Sam and Tucker.

After a while I got the hang of it more than usual, it was hard to keep altitude so I mostly flew above buildings till I was able to keep a constant height the distance to the ground from where I flew not making a difference as to whether I stayed that high up or just that far from the ground. I drifted down and sat on the pier where I had been last night. I dropped my back pack and walked to the edge of the pier where I sat down.

I needed to think. I glimpsed Phantom in the water and grimaced laying on my back still in the ghost body. Had I been childish? It wasn't my fault… I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't try to become dead, or a ghost, or a freak. I just wanted to be Danny. I closed my eyes again and let tears fall. I'd become quite the crybaby in the past twenty four hours I decided. But who wouldn't cry knowing they were dead, well at least sort of dead.

What was I now? Was I a ghost? Or was I human? More importantly how did I go back to being human?

"_Well it is your fault."_ I could hear Sam saying. I growled.

_Why? How was it my fault? It was her fault. If she wasn't there then this never would have happened to me_. I instantly hated myself for thinking that and I tried to make it up.

_Well I guess I could have said no. _I reasoned, however the little devil on my shoulder had other ideas.

_Say no? To someone like Sam? If I said no then she probably would have pushed me in regardless._

_Well that's a little extreme… but possible, in that case it's my fault for letting her down into the basement._

_She would have just kicked the door open threw me in there._

_No that's not true._

_She just doesn't want to take the blame for killing me. She doesn't want to be the person who killed her best friend._

_Who would want that though? I wouldn't want to be the person to kill her. Maybe she wouldn't have done it if she knew I would die._

_And may she likes that I'm a ghost now, she is a Goth and she does like weird things._

_No Sam wouldn't do that._

_Would she?_

_Was she scared of me like tucker was?_

_Wait… Tucker was scared of me. He was…. I saw it in his eyes when he looked at me._

_Were they both scared of me now?_

_Was I even Danny to them anymore?_

Now that was a scary thought…. And if I wasn't Danny… was I Phantom? I shivered. Did they see my differently now? I frowned not wanting to lose them even if I was mad at Sam for placing all the blame on me.

While I would own up to some of that she also had some of the blame. That didn't worry me so much anymore as a new scary thought took hold in my mind. What if I wasn't Danny to them? What if I was just a ghost that looked like Danny? I felt like I was Danny for the most part but the ghost thing worried me? Was I still Danny? Was I ever Danny? I sat up. These questions scared me and I didn't want to answer them, didn't want to think about them, didn't want to even consider them.

I could hear the soft quack of ducks in the distance, a few teens were hanging along the beach down the way, I didn't suspect they'd come this way. I sighed then let myself sink through the wooden boards and landed with a splash in the water. I drifted down a few feet before coming to rest on the sandy bottom a few rocks sticking into my back from where the fake beach had drifted away. I stared up through the water the soft pull of the minimal waves steadily dragging me out from under the pier. I let out a breath after a few minutes of feeling the water currents and watched the bubbles make their way toward the surface like miniature jellyfish. I smiled a little laughing as more bubbles escaped at made their way upward. I blinked. It was quite peaceful down here.

I didn't know how long I stayed down there feeling the rush of the water and the cool currents around me, a few fish coming up every now and then to inspect me. One small group of fish staring at me and watching me before swimming away probably thinking what an ugly rock I was. I slowly began to feel an uncomfortable feeling in my chest as I laid there, in this cool weightless world there was suddenly this heavy warm feeling. I blinked as my vision grew cloudy, the water around me a bit darker than before then a pressure building upon me. I stood up pushing off the lake floor and speeding for the surface as my ghostly glow faded and black hair plastered to my face. My clothes became heavy wet cotton and I kicked for the surface the oxygen in my lungs already depleted. I broke the surface about a hundred meters away from the pier. Two people sat on the edge one of them stood up and pointed at me.

I gasped taking in welcome lungful's of oxygen as I struggled a bit to stay afloat in my now human body the ghost body I had before was so much lighter or easier to control. I blinked the water out of my eyes and my ears slowly emptied as well.

"Danny?" I looked toward the pier and saw Sam waving her arms. I stuck one arm out of the water and waved back before I started swimming (rather poorly I might add) back to the pier. Sam and Tucker hauled me out of the water for second in twenty four hours.

"How long have you been down there?" Tucker asked as I shivered while a cool breeze blew against my wet body, my arm crossed over my chest for warmth.

"I don't know." I said then shivered again, "Not very long I guess." I looked over at them, "How long were you guys here?" I asked.

"Not too long, we got here maybe fifteen minutes ago, but before then we stopped at Sam's house to drop off all those books." Tucker said, "Then to my house to drop off my backpack and then we walked down here." Tucker said. I calculated, I'd probably been gone at least an hour and a half. My parents probably wouldn't notice because they'd assume I was with Sam or Tucker or they'd be too busy on an invention… my sister was another story. I shivered again then looked down at my body. I needed to get dry.

The sun was still up but since the sun was up till at least eight in the evening it wasn't really a good time measure. I shivered then attempted to wring out my shirt before shaking my head around to shake loose the water droplets.

"Um…" I looked up, "Danny." Sam said looking at me.

"Uh… yeah?" I asked going back to wringing out my shirt wondering if I should take it off to do it. Sam looked nervous though and I hesitated staring at her.

"Well… I was thinking… if… well if you could do that intangible thing you could get all the water off." Sam said. I nodded.

"Or I could fall through the pier into the water below and get that much more wet." I stated. Tucker nodded in agreement.

"I thought about that. But when we were walking even though you couldn't touch anything you still didn't sink into the ground." Sam said, "You know when we were headed to your house." Sam said leaving out our fight, "So maybe you just have to know what you want to touch and what you don't." Sam suggested. I blinked then stared down at my wet clothes.

"Ok… I want to touch the pier and not fall through." I said to myself, "I don't want anything else to touch me though so I can get the water off." I said. Nothing happened.

"You probably have to use the ghost powers." Tucker said.

"Ghost powers?" I asked. Tucker nodded.

"You got a better word for it?" Tucker asked. I shook my head.

"Ok… ghost powers, ghost powers." I said not sure what I was trying to do, "Oh! That cold feeling." I said triumphantly. Sam and Tucker just gave me a weird look.

"When I changed into that ghost thing there was this cold feeling in my chest." I said pointing my thumb at my chest. Sam and Tucker just looked at me, "Here let me see if I can duplicate that." I commented trying to feel that cold core.

"Um…" Sam and Tucker looked at each other; I looked back up at them.

"What?" I asked. Sam and Tucker shook their heads.

"It's not really something we can tell you dude." Tucker shrugged.

"We have fewer ideas about what you have to do then you do." Sam said, "I guess you could try it." I nodded.

"Think ghost. Think ghost." I muttered to myself. I could feel the presence of that cold core. I went to mentally grasp it but it was like I couldn't. I frowned.

"Ghost…. Ghost… Ghost… come on go ghost!" I said angrily my mental hands grabbing the core violently. There was a flash of light. I was a ghost again. I looked down.

"Wait that's not what I wanted." I frowned, "I just needed to be… intangible." I said to myself. Sam and Tucker were once again staring at me.

"What!" I asked angry that I couldn't control these ghost powers or whatever they were. Sam and Tucker blinked.

"That is so weird." Tucker said. I felt suddenly depressed and my focus slipped as I sighed. I shook out my now white hair water droplets scattering from my head. I felt somewhat weak after using so much… ghost energy. The warm feeling returned and I then watched as the ring around my wait formed and split one moving up the other moving down returning the warmth of my human body. I blinked then felt my clothes which were still wet.

"Ok…" I clenched my fists and grabbed for a little bit of the cold, though not all of trying to replicate the strange tingle that passed through me whenever I turned intangible. This time it worked a bit better and the water when rushing off me landing on the planks. I turned tangible and pumped both fists into the air.

"YES!" I cheered, and abruptly my pants fell down causing both Sam and Tucker to laugh. I turned red and pulled my pants up once more.

"Just be glad we weren't somewhere public." Sam said. I nodded still red in the face.

"Let's just go." I said turning on my heel and walking back down the pier.

**(Toooniiigggghhhttt~ We're not Youunngg~)**

It was dark in the room I was standing in, there were no windows and the darkness seemed endless, strange things would pass through light thoughts speeding faster than ewoks on motorcycles leaving me with faint déjà vu feelings. I just stood there for a while before I realized that I might want to get out of there, so I began walking. Slowly the terrain became sticky and then I felt like I was walking through a lake or a pool. I looked down to see this glowing green substance.

Trying to run back to where I was or find something to pull me out of there I scrambled for an exit. There were strange ghostly faces in the green glowing goop and the stuff was steadily trying to swallow me. Where the goop had touched me I couldn't feel my body that well and as it climbed up my body swallowing me, devouring me, consuming me I felt like I was disappearing losing what was me off me. The harder I fought the more the substance clung to me grabbing me dragging me down.

The acid green glow eating me a way desperately, twisting around me, those eerie ghostly faces dragging me down into the goo as I struggled my arms slowly being covered in green goo as I fought to break free. The goo climbing up my torso as I futilely stretched my head away from the living ghostly goop. The ectoplasmic green covering my vision as I sunk into the goo.

I floated around in the green substance for a while adjusting to my surroundings. I could feel myself being brought in deeper and deeper into the muck. I reached for the surface only to see a gloved hand, I opened my mouth to scream for help and then I could feel myself falling.

I hit the ground with a thud crying out in pain but having nothing in my lungs to cry out with. I doubled checked my body and I was still human. I lay there gasping for breath as mom came barreling down the stairs with the anti-creep stick.

"Danny!" Mom said dropping the anti-creep stick and grabbing my shoulders sitting me up as I caught my breath.

"Again?" she wondered. I coughed then looked at her. Should I tell her? Would she be able to cure me? Could I get rid of this curse haunting me… ok poor choice of words.

"Mom… I…" I began.

"WHERE'S THE GHOST I'M GOING TO TEAR IT APART MOLOCULE BY MOLOCULE!" Dad said barreling down the stairs with an impressive looking gun.

"It's just Danny Jack, but I promise if there's a ghost you can tear it apart." Mom said calming my Dad down.

"I'm fine, just sleepwalking." I said genuinely scared for my life. Jazz came down the stairs looking upset her hair a mess and Bearbert Einstein in her hand which she thrust at me.

"What is going on?" Jazz asked angrily.

"Your brother just tripped down the stairs while sleep walking I assume." Mom said helping me to my feet. Mom and Dad then turned around to look at Jazz.

"You know that might be a mental condition, it's not extremely rare, and he probably got it from living in this…" I turned Jazz out and I my right foot was rapidly sinking into the ground.

I pulled it out and willed it tangible again with minimal success as it slowly started sinking again.

"Danny." Mom said scaring me, "why don't you head back to bed, you have school in the morning." Mom said. I nodded.

"Yeah." I said shifting my weight to my left foot as I willed the right tangible again this time feeling the floor solidly below my foot as I started toward the stairs.

"Goodnight Danny, have sweet dreams." Mom said with a smile trying to get Jazz to stop her psychobabble and go to bed.

"Yeah… sweet dreams," I said knowing full well I would not have a pleasant night's sleep.

"Goodnight." I said as I made it to my bedroom mom a few steps behind me.

"Goodnight sweetie." Mom smiled. I shut the door softly and curled up in bed fully intending to stay awake the entire night.

**I think that this is a good place to stop.**

**It has been a while since I updated this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Fairfarren all.**

**No answering reviews since I'm trying to post thing quickly.**


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